Believed in skills rather than Conditions, says Kohli

India's Test skipper Virat Kohli on Tuesday said that the players believed in their skills rather than conditions and or atmosphere.

India mauled New Zealand by 321 runs in the third and final Test at the Holkar Cricket Stadium here.

Completing a 3-0 clean sweep in the series, India have now stamped their authority and clinched the No. 1 International Cricket Council (ICC) Test ranking from Pakistan. They had already bagged the top spot after winning the second Test at Kolkata.

The formality was completed on Tuesday evening when 'ICC Hall of Fame' Sunil Gavaskar presented the Test championship mace to Virat Kohli at after-match presentation ceremony.

"That's the right step we have taken. We believe in our skill and not believe in creating conditions or atmosphere which might suit us partially. We wanted to express ourselves. We finished two games in four days and that gives us a lot of confidence," said Kohli after the match.

Kohli said that the team tried to play the second innings with more intent so that bowlers can express themselves.

"We try to play positive cricket in the second innings and try to give the bowlers as much enough overs to bowl, and secondly enough runs to keep expressing themselves and not set defensive fields," Kohli said.

"This was a situation where we batted them out of the game. We could express ourselves best and give our bowlers time to bowl out the opposition. The last two Tests played out nicely for us and that's why we could finish both the games in four days," he added.

Star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin once again single-handedly triggered another batting collapse of the Kiwis, to return with career-best figures of 7/59 in the visitors' second innings, bundling them out for a paltry 153 in response to the mammoth target of 475.

The 27-year-old Delhi batsman also spoke about recent tweet of Harbhajan Singh that if they had helpful pitches earlier in his career, he and Anil Kumble would have grabbed many more wickets.

"Even if it is a turning pitch, you have to bowl well. Spin is just not something to happen only off the pitch. It depends on how many revs (revolutions) you give to the ball and the use of the shoulder. When we lost to New Zealand in the World Cup, I quite clearly remember, suddenly their spinners were quality bowlers and we were found out! I don't see anyone talking about it now," Kohli said.

"The same (New Zealand) spinners had played (in this series). Why did not they pick up wickets? It's as simple as that. Our fast bowlers (also) picked up wickets everywhere. Give a guy a cement track to bat on. He should have a mindset to do so. It's as simple as that. That's all I am going to sum up," he added.

--IANS

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